See productivity soar in 2016 with this one effective tool!

You already know people have personal issues that follow them to work. And these can have a serious impact on the quality of their work and how effective they are. To beat this in 2016, you need to focus on their personal issues just as much as you would on their work output.

But how you ask? Simple... One way to boost your employee's well-being is with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

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It's a program that helps them solve their personal problems. Problems that could have a negative effect on their work, even though they aren't always work related. An EAP acts as a channel between your employees who need help, and the experts who'll give them the help they need.

So let's look at how to implement an EAP to get your employees focused and productive going in to 2016…

6 steps to set up your Employee Assistance Program

Step 1: Create an EAP team
Create an EAP team or committee. They'll help you decide what you should include in your policy and what help you'll offer employees.

Step 2: Draft an EAP Policy
Draft an EAP policy to explain the program you'll offer. You policy should include:
• What your goals are by offering EAP;
• A step-by-step procedure which describes how your employees can access your EAP services; and
• An explanation of how you'll protect your employee's privacy.

Step 3: Hire an EAP coordinator
The coordinator's responsible for sourcing and hiring the professionals you'll need to give EAP services in-house. For example a counsellor or psychologist.

Keep reading for the next 3 steps..

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Step 4: Share your EAP policy with your employees
Make sure all employees know about your policy. Send it in your internal newsletters and any other form of communication you use. List the services available through the program. Make sure you tell employees you'll keep their information confidential.

Step 5: Meet with employees who want help from your EAP
When employees want to use the EAP, set some time to meet with them. Talk about their problem and what service your EAP can offer them. Answer any questions they have. Set up meetings with the right professionals to help them get the help they need.

Step 6: Check if your EAP is working the way you planned
Make sure your EAP's working the way you want it to. Use questionnaires, surveys, interviews and focus groups to get information from your employees. You can also get data and statistics from payroll and your EAP service providers.

A well run, carefully planned and implemented EAP can effectively reduce health risks in employees and result in significant economic benefits for you.

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